- Founded in 1858 by Fukuzawa Yukichi, who had studied the Western educational system at Brown University in the United States
- Initial identity was that of a private school of Western studies, and eventually became known a leading Japanese university by 1890, similar to one of America's Ivy League institutions
- The only Japanese university Albert Einstein visited when presenting his lecture on the special theory of relativity in 1922
- 33,000+ students and 500 international students from some 35 different countries
- Main campus is in Mita-cho, Minato-ku (one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan)
Visa + Requirements|Travel advice + advisories
Partner university’s areas of study
- English and Japanese
- There is no language proficiency requirement at the time of admission
- Keio recommends students to learn some basic Japanese before they come to Japan, so they can take full advantage of the program and their experience
- Students who have passed JLPT, Japanese Language Proficiency Test, N1 or N2 and those who have Japanese language proficiency equivalent to JLPT N2 will be eligible to register for undergraduate faculty courses
Eligibility and Timing
Terms Offered
Who can go?
- Students can take coursework in most areas of study
Term Dates
- Semester 1: Mid September to Mid February
- Semester 2: Early April to Late July
Timing
-
Commerce: When applying to Go Global, UBC-V Commerce students must select 'Keio University-COMM'
-
Law: When applying to Go Global, UBC-V Law students must select 'Keio University-Law'
Credits
Course equivalency formula
- 13 Japanese Language Program (JLP) & Keio International Program (KIP) credits = 15 UBC credits
- Law program: 8 Keio Courses (14 - 16 Credits) = 15 UBC Law Credits
Credit transfer process
The transfer credit process takes approximately 16 weeks following each submission deadline. You should allow sufficient time to meet important deadlines that may affect you (e.g. application for graduation, registration in courses that require prerequisites that you took on exchange, entry to a major/honours program, etc.)
For more information about Go Global transfer credit
Passing grade
60% or 'C'Course Information
* Students who have special requirements or require academic accommodation should contact a Go Global advisor regarding their needs at least six weeks prior to the application deadline.
Type of Go Global Experiences
Course information and restrictions
- All levels of Japanese language courses are available
- The International Center offers classes taught in English to provide students with opportunities to learn about the society and culture of Japan and other countries, or international relations
- When selecting courses, please ensure that they are available in the semester for which you are applying (ultimately, students are responsible for researching applicable course restrictions)
Full course load information
- Students in the KIP or JLP program are expected to take 7 courses
- NOTE: this is considered a full course load and work requirements should resemble a regular full course load at UBC
Transfer Credits And Equivalent Courses At This University
Check out the courses that previous students have transferred back to UBC in the last 5 years using our Course Search Tool. If you don't see a particular course you listed, it simply means you need to submit it as a new course request through the Transfer Credit Portal while on your Go Global experience. For more information, please visit the Go Global Transfer Credit webpage.
Exchange Tuition
- 15 credits or equivalent full-time program fee per term, paid to UBC
- Some exceptions may apply
Scholarships and awards
The Go Global Award $1000
All students accepted to Go Global for Exchange, Research Abroad, or Study Abroad travel programs are automatically considered for this award. If you meet the eligibility criteria, you'll be notified of your award after you're accepted to Go Global and after you get nominated to apply to the partner university.
Additional awards
Students who are eligible for awards may receive one UBC or UBC-affiliated international learning award. If you're eligible, you are always offered the highest-value award. Unless stated otherwise, you need to meet eligibility criteria set out by the University Senate regarding awards.
Check out international learning awards and eligibility.
- Students with outstanding academic performance may be nominated for the JASSO (Japan Student Services Organization) scholarship
Information for US students:
If you are a student from the United States, please check the US Department of Education Lookup Tool to ensure that any partner institution you wish to attend on Exchange is Title IV ‘eligible’ for Federal Student Aid for the year in which you intend to study there. For institutions outside of the US, select “Foreign Country” from the “State” dropdown menu.
If you attend an eligible institution, then you may receive Title IV federal student loans while on Exchange.
If you attend an ineligible institution:
- You will not be eligible for US federal student loans,
- You may invalidate any US student aid you have previously received for your studies at UBC,
- You may be required to immediately begin repaying your US student loans, and
- You may not be eligible for any future US student aid for the remainder of your studies at UBC.
Types of accommodation available
Housing notes
- Exchange students are highly likely to receive housing in one of the university-subsidized apartments upon request
- Some students will look for housing themselves, but most exchange students live in university-subsidized housing